It was a time-saver for thousands, but now, Tesco is charging people for the privilege of using its click and collect service.

The supermarket is now adding a charge of up to £2 for people who want to order their groceries in advance and then pick them up from their local store the next day.

While there will still be some free slots available, if you want to collect your shopping on the same day you order it you could be paying an extra £4.

“The changes we are making to Click and Collect better reflect the lengths our colleagues go to picking and packing orders for our customers,” a Tesco spokeswoman told The Mirror.

“We continue to offer a number of free next day Click + Collect slots, as well as home delivery slots from as little as £1. Next day Click and Collect slots remain free for members of our Delivery Saver scheme.”

The move has proved unpopular with some customers.

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Nikki Weller wrote on Tesco’s official Facebook page: “I went to place my regular online order and discovered that Tesco has introduced a ‘packing’ charge to its previously free Click & Collect Service,”

“Not only was this done without any warning to its customers but the charging structure is frankly ridiculous. How can it cost more to pack on a Saturday afternoon than it does on a Monday afternoon? Why are some slots free where others cost £3 and possibly more? My regular slot is £2 - that’s £96 over the course of a year, why on earth would I opt to pay that?

“I’ll vote with my feet and I hope others do the same.”

People were also confused about the free delivery slots.

Kelly-Ann Mills told The Mirror: “They say prices start at 0 and go to £2, but I found no free spots for the next three weeks at my local store.”

So what can you do if you’re not willing to pay just to pick up your shopping, but haven’t got time to do the full supermarket run?

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First of all, it is still possible to get some free click and collect slots — but you’ll have to be quick, and may have less choice of convenient times than before.

You can also still use the free click and collect service for some non-food products from Tesco, including DVDs, clothing and kitchen appliances.

While getting your shopping done free by Tesco might have become harder, if there are other supermarkets near you, you might be able to use them instead.